The supply of new homes is improving, with both starts and completions up to their highest levels since 2008.

Meanwhile new home planning permissions have reached their highest level since 2008.

In the December quarter of last year, starts were 37,080, up 6% on the previous quarter and up 23% on the same quarter a year earlier.

Completions in the December quarter stood at 37,230, also 6% higher than the previous quarter and a 22% annual rise.

The number of starts are now 116% above the trough of March 2009, but 23% below the March quarter 2007 peak. Completions are 23% below their March 2007 peak.

Altogether, says the Department for Communities and Local Government, there were 132,560 starts last year, up 6% on 2014.

Annual housing completions totalled 143,560 last year, a 21% increase on 2014 but still 29% short of the Government’s annual target of 200,000 new homes a year.

The rise in completions was entirely due to private house building activity.

Out of the total completed, 119,210 were private sector (up 8%), 22,680 were built by housing associations (down 1%) and 1,670 built by councils (down 36%).

Separately, the Home Builders Federation and Glenigan reported that planning consent was granted for 242,819 homes in the first nine months of last year, the highest moving annual total since early 2008.

All the figures relate to England only.